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The Muppet Traffic Safety Show
The Plymouth Muppet Traffic Safety Show was a touring attraction brought to shopping malls around the US in the late 1980s, sponsored by the Plymouth division of Chrysler Motors. Children would ride in a minivan through a Muppet-filled movie set, teaching them various lessons about traffic safety. The children were filmed during the ride, and the ride ended with a showing of their own mini-movie.Advanced Animations, "Muppet Traffic Safety Show". The attraction featured the first fully animatronic versions of the Muppets, before Muppet*Vision 3D. The Muppet characters included Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Beaker, Robin the Frog, the Frog Scouts, a chicken (crossing the road) and some penguins. The show included a song, "Play It Safe." The audio track for the attraction was recorded by Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson. The attraction begins with Kermit dressed as a crossing guard, welcoming the passengers and waving them through a tollbooth. Gonzo is the filmmaker, operating a camera in each of the six scenes. In the first scene, Miss Piggy is on the curb in front of an ice cream shop, and teaches the kids that you should look "left-right-left" before crossing the street. Fozzie Bear told the old "why did the chicken cross the road?" joke, with a chicken preparing to cross. In another scene, Animal demonstrated why darting out into traffic was dangerous, riding out of an alley on a Big Wheels-style toy bike. In another, Gonzo talked about bus safety as a group of penguins exited a school bus. Robin and the Frog Scouts appeared in a Plymouth Voyager minivan, demonstrating the importance of buckling your seatbelt. Beaker also also had his own scene. The attraction occupied 2,000 square feet, and stood nine feet tall. It included 40 animated characters, which were finished using official Muppet costume materials. Each car could carry six children, and total ride capacity was 175 passengers an hour.National Safety Town Center, "Muppet Traffic Show". This show was created by Advanced Animations and appeared in malls and trade shows throughout the United States. Advanced Animations was the company responsible for the giant animated "toy clock" that was featured at FAO Schwarz in New York City. The tour launched at the Eastland Mall in Harper Woods, Michigan on May 20, 1988, and was scheduled to tour the country for three years.Plymouth, Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog launch Muppet Traffic Safety Show national tour (Chrysler Corp.'s Plymouth division) Tour locations included: * Murray, Utah (July 1988)"Muppet traffic safety show Fashion Place July 20-23", Orem-Geneva Times (Orem, Utah), 13 Julu 1988, page 8 * Miami, Florida (October 1988)Palm Beach Post * Milwaukee, Wisconsin (February 1989)The Milwaukee Journal * 1990 North American International Auto Show, Detroit, Michigan (January 1990)See photo in the gallery * Carolina Circle Mall, Greensboro, North Carolina (August 2-5, 1990) Image:TheMuppetTrafficSafetyShow-Logo.png|The show's logo Image:Muppet_Traffic_Safety_show.jpg|Michael Frith, Kermit and Jim Henson Image:Plymouth_traffic_3.jpg|Kermit at the crossing guard booth North_american_auto_show.jpg Safety_kermit_booth.jpg Muppet Traffic Safety Show overhead.jpg|overhead view Safety_piggy_penguins.jpg|Miss Piggy and the Penguins Image:trafficshow.jpg miss piggy safety show.jpg piggy safety.jpg fozzie safety show.jpg|Fozzie Bear, asking why the chicken crosses the road Image:Plymouth_traffic_1.jpg fozzie safety.jpg animal safety show.jpg|Animal shows why darting into the street is dangerous Image:trafficsafety.JPG animal safety.jpg gonzo safety show.jpg|Gonzo films, as penguins get off the school bus penguin safety.jpg frog scouts safety show.jpg|Robin and the Frog Scouts sing "Play It Safe". Image:Plymouth_traffic_2.jpg|Photos from the ride, including Beaker's scene Image:Muppet_Traffic_Safety_Show_August_1,_1990.jpg|Plymouth Muppet Traffic Safety Show Advertisement Sources External inks * Advanced Animations site * link to older archived site on Archive.org __NOWYSIWYG__ Category:Exhibits